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The Miracle of the Sun and Fatima’s Message for Today

By Lisa Mladinich

Happy 100th Anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun!

Enjoy this beautiful talk by Father Andrew Apostoli, CFR, which urgently and lovingly places the message and meaning of the apparitions at Fatima into the context of our lives, today.

Please begin by saying a brief prayer for this holy priest’s health.

 

Read all posts by Lisa Mladinich Filed Under: Evangelization, Featured, Lisa's Updates, Mary, Prayer, Spiritual Warfare, Theology, Video Tagged With: 100th Anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun, Blessed Virgin Mary, CFR, Fr. Andrew Apostoli, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Our Lady of Fatima, penance, reparation, saving souls, The Holy Rosary

Being “Little Marys”

By Maureen Smith

As I was driving with Jesus buckled into my lap in His pyx, on my way to preside over a Communion service this past Sunday, I was trying to prepare some thoughts for the reflection after the Gospel.

Although I had just gone to Mass that morning, the readings and homily seemed a vague memory, as it had been pre-second cup of coffee. What was it that the priest said? What was the Gospel again? Something about the Body of Christ, probably…

What do I say to residents on Corpus Christi Sunday, whose holiness and devotion far exceeds my own? Well, since I am no expert, I thought, I must consult the saints!

Of course Our Lady came to mind. But then, along with that thought, a much older and much more vivid memory than that morning’s homily popped into my head. I recalled how my mom told me that my name, Maureen, means “little Mary.”

Never did I find my name among the turnstiles of souvenir pens or plaques with it’s meaning and origin, which so often populate gift shops and craft fairs. I used to search fruitlessly among the Marissas, Megans, Michelles, but no Maureens. My mom, however, told me she named me Maureen for a few reasons, one of which was because it meant “little Mary.”

This happy thought called to mind an image of the Visitation, as I imagined how Mary carried Christ inside her body.

As I prayed with this image, the Lord reminded me that this phenomenon is not unique to Our Lady, since we do this whenever we receive Christ’s Body and Blood. We all become “little Marys,” bringing Jesus to all of the corners of the world.

This reality remained with me throughout the day, long after the Communion service.

What a privilege it is to be a Christ-bearer like Our Lady. And how blessed we are to have such a model and guide as we seek to reveal Him in our daily lives! It is easy to think that we must feel His Presence or seek Him and take Him in in order to become a Christ-bearer. But by nature of our Baptism, the light of Christ shines from within, not from without, and is amplified and fortified each time we receive the Sacraments.

I often wait for Christ to come to me, and wait to love or do ministry until I feel prepared by His Grace, thinking myself to be too weak. But it is precisely then, when we are empty, when we are least full of ourselves, that we are disposed to carry the One who can do all things.

May we all be like Mary, carrying Christ to all around us. Every human person suffers and we get to be healers of divine love. It is easy to forget that Christ’s presence dwells with us long after we have consumed the Eucharist. We may feel His throne is vacant within us at times, as Mary surely felt the pain of his absence during Christ’s apostolic years, and most certainly at the Cross. Yet, she and so many before us trusted and hoped in His fidelity.

Let us be strengthened by the witness of the Saints who recognized their own powerlessness and at the same time the power of the presence of Christ in our souls. From one Christ-bearer to another, I pray that God blesses you each time you receive His Sacred Body and Blood, and that you receive a special gift of His Grace this Friday on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart – the proof of His Love for you.

 

Read all posts by Maureen Smith Filed Under: Campus Ministry, Catechetics, Culture, Evangelization, General, Liturgical, Mary, Prayer, Sacraments Tagged With: Blessed Virgin Mary, Communion, Corpus Christi, Eucharist, Light, Mary, sacraments, Visitation

What’s in a Name???

By Rocco Fortunato

What’s in a Name???

Ave Maria!!!

In my previous article titled “Mary CHRISTmas!!!,” I promised an explanation for using Mary CHRISTmas in place of Merry Christmas. So on this last day of the CHRISTmas season, The Baptism of the Lord, I keep my promise (kinda like last minute CHRISTmas shopping!).

Now just to clarify – I have no problem using Merry Christmas. This traditional greeting expresses our desire for souls to experience the true joy of CHRISTmas. But in these idolatrous times, so many souls are blinded to the beauty of that most Holy Night and of the entire CHRISTmas season. So when the greeting is bestowed or received, many times there’s really no thought given to its actual meaning.

As the war to annihilate the true meaning of CHRISTmas in hearts and societies continues, it also attacks the dignity of Our Lady and her irreplaceable role in our salvation. As lovers of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, let us in return wage our own war to bring back into the light what Satan is trying to conceal!

Using Mary CHRISTmas is a simple way to help us and all souls focus more on the sacred realities of CHRISTmas. Here are just some of the many beautiful truths it illuminates while providing opportunities for us to evangelize souls into a deeper love of the Holy Family:

  • Online – the colors alone make souls stop an extra second or two and take a closer look at what they’re actually reading. They won’t just glance over the standard Merry Christmas and move on to what comes next. I call this ‘holy trickery’ and do it as often as I can – using something subtle (and many times not so subtle) to draw the attention of souls to some part/truth of our most holy Faith.
  • Online and in writing – souls will ponder why Mary replaces Merry and why CHRIST is emphasized in CHRISTmas. This immediately causes souls to pause and gaze upon the most Holy Name of Mary (oh how sweet and beautiful her name is!!!) and take note that CHRIST is the central focus of CHRISTmas!
  • When asked, “What’s up with Mary CHRISTmas?”, then it’s time for us to evangelize!
    • Blue is the color most associated with Our Lady, so that’s an easy one.
    • Green symbolizes hope and eternal life, both of which Christ came to bring us.
    • Red symbolizes the shedding of blood, which Jesus did willingly for our salvation.
    • CHRISTmas means Christ’s Mass or Mass of Christ. The colors emphasize that in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the same Precious Blood of Jesus which was poured out on the Cross, is re-presented (not represented) in time and space on the altar of sacrifice; and then consumed in Holy Communion for eternal life!
  • The Mary at the beginning reveals some very beautiful Marian truths of our most holy Faith:
    • Just as the morning star always precedes and announces the coming of the sun, so Mary, the true Morning Star, always precedes and announces every advent (coming) of her beloved Son and God, Jesus Christ!
    • He Who in eternity precedes time and space was preceded by His Mother in time and space! The perfect Mother preceded the perfect Child; the creature preceded the Creator! The Creator gave flesh, blood, and life to the creature and then in turn was given Flesh, Blood, and Life from the creature!!!
    • Mary, in her immaculate purity, is the one always closest to Jesus. The closer we are to Mary, the closer we are to Jesus. The more united we are to Mary, the more united we are to Jesus. Mary always leads and unites us to Jesus!
    • Mary can never be separated from her Son and God Jesus Christ! Whenever or wherever we find Mary, we always find Jesus! As St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort, that fiery Apostle of Mary, teaches:

     “So intimately is she united to You that it would be easier to separate light from the         sun, and heat from the fire. I go further, it would even be easier to separate all the         angels and saints from You than Mary; for she loves You ardently, and glorifies You         more perfectly than all Your other creatures put together” (True Devotion to Mary,          n. 63).

    • Mary’s irreplaceable role in salvation history as the Virgin who fulfills the Old Testament prophecies announcing the Virgin Birth of the Messiah (Isa 7:14 and 66:7-8a,b). No Mary, no Jesus! Know Mary, know Jesus!
    • We can only be as Christ-like as we are Mary-like; we can only be as Christian as we are Marian. Since we are all called to holiness by virtue of our Baptism, we are all called to be perfect disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. Since Mary is the perfect disciple, we are called to follow in her footsteps which are the very Footsteps of Jesus; right up to her ascent of Calvary.
    • Jesus came to us through Mary; we are always to go to Jesus through Mary. “The Church, with the Holy Spirit, blesses our Lady first, then Jesus, ‘Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.’ Not that Mary is greater than Jesus, or even equal to him – that would be an intolerable heresy. But in order to bless Jesus more perfectly we should first bless Mary. Let us say with all those truly devoted to her, despite these false and scrupulous devotees: ‘O Mary, blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.’” (St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort, True Devotion to Mary, n. 95).
    • Every artist receives the greatest renown from his greatest masterpiece. Before the Divine Artist revealed Himself in the Flesh, He first revealed His greatest masterpiece – to give us a foreshadowing of His infinite greatness, goodness, and glory! He revealed to us His most beautiful, loveliest, beloved, holiest, perfect, intelligent, pure, humble, modest, chaste, powerful, grace-filled, radiant, innocent, wise, awesome, subtle, awe-inspiring, sublime, unfathomable, generous, condescending, gentle, meek, mild, honored, exalted, praised, compassionate, sought after, glorious, spotless, sinless, virginal, untainted, incomprehensible…WORDS FAIL!!! They UTTERLY fail!!!
    • The Lord our God, in His infinite power and might, poured everything He possibly could into His Mother; and exalted her far beyond all the angels and Saints combined!!! If He could have created a more glorious Mother, He would have; but He couldn’t!!! Behold the height of Almighty God’s transcendent power, glory, beauty, and majesty in a creature – MARY MOST HOLY!!! AVE MARIA!!!

Now some may ask themselves if this article gives too much praise, glory, and honor to the Mother of God, somehow in opposition to or detracting from the praise, glory, and honor that we owe to Almighty God (as if that were possible!). I would tell them to ask themselves the following questions:

  1. Is there any father who is offended when his most beloved daughter receives praise, glory, and/or honor?
  1. Is there any son who is offended when his beloved mother receives praise, glory, and/or honor?
  1. Is there any spouse who is offended when his well-beloved spouse receives praise, glory, and/or honor?

Then when Mary Most Holy receives praise, glory, and/or honor, are we to somehow assume that any of the Three Persons of the Blessed Trinity (Father, Son, or Holy Spirit) is offended?!?!  Oh how much the Most Holy Trinity is perfectly praised, glorified, and/or honored when Our Lady is!!! I end this article in the words of the great St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Abbot and Doctor of the Church, who Pope Pius XII called “Doctor Mellifluus” and “the last of the Fathers”:

“Of Mary, there is never enough.”

Read all posts by Rocco Fortunato Filed Under: Catechetics, Culture, Evangelization, Featured Tagged With: Blessed Virgin Mary, Christmas, Marian devotion, Rocco Fortunato, Spread the Blaze

Mary CHRISTmas!!!

By Rocco Fortunato

Mary CHRISTmas!!!

Ave Maria!!

In recent decades there has been an all-out war to annihilate the true meaning of CHRISTmas. So what can we as lovers of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph do to restore its sacredness? What can we do to remind souls that CHRISTmas is the joyful celebration of the Birth of Jesus Christ? Here is a simple suggestion:

*** Restore the CHRISTmas manger scene in as many places as possible ***

I remember as a child being enamored by manger scenes; even now they exercise a holy influence upon me. They are an incredible source of catechesis without a single word being spoken. St. Francis of Assisi originated this practice to honor the beauty, warmth, and sacredness of this most Holy Night.

The CHRISTmas manger scene ‘preaches’ the glad tidings of the Virgin Birth. It ‘cries out’ in silence so many beautiful truths of our most holy Faith; all of which were accomplished through God’s infinite love, such as:

  • Almighty God, Who dwells in eternity, willed to leap from His glorious throne in Heaven into time and space!
  • Almighty God, Whom the universe cannot contain, contained Himself by the Power of the Holy Spirit in an earthly ‘throne’ – the Immaculate Womb of a teenage, virgin girl, Mary most holy! The Lord of glory dwelling in microscopic size held all things in existence by His infinite Power!
  • Almighty God willed to become completely dependent on the Blessed Virgin Mary for everything to set us an example – Total Consecration!!! (Please read “True Devotion to Mary” (TAN books) by St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort, that fiery Apostle of Mary.)
  • Almighty God, Who created man, willed to radically humble Himself and become a Man! Oh, that Love willed to become our Brother! And because of this great truth, the Immaculate Conception has become our Mother!
  • Almighty God willed to be born by the Virgin Birth and “did not diminish his mother’s virginal integrity but sanctified it” (Vatican II, Lumen Gentium, no. 57). Our Lady remained a virgin before, during, and after the Birth, which occurred:
    • In a miraculous way : “…just as He afterwards went forth from the sepulchre while it was closed and sealed, and entered the room in which His disciples were assembled, the doors being shut; or, not to depart from every­day examples, just as the rays of the sun penetrate without breaking or injuring in the least the solid substance of glass, so after a like but more exalted manner did Jesus Christ come forth from His mother’s womb without injury to her maternal virginity” (The Catechism of the Council of Trent, article 3).
    • Without pain : “To Eve it was said: In sorrow shalt thou bring forth children. Mary was exempt from this law, for preserving her virginal integrity inviolate she brought forth Jesus the Son of God without experiencing, as we have already said, any sense of pain” (The Catechism of the Council of Trent, article 3).
  • Almighty God willed to be born in a cave/stable where animals lived, fed, and relieved themselves, to teach us the beauty of holy poverty and detachment.
  • Almighty God willed to be born into a family that was rejected and refused shelter, to reveal His association with and preferential love for the poor and the outcasts.
  • *** NOTE ***: Regarding the next paragraph, if you’ve had an abortion or cooperated with one in any manner, you are still precious in the sight of Almighty God and still infinitely and perfectly loved by our most merciful Father!!! If you haven’t done so yet, please go to sacramental Confession and confess the sin ASAP, so the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ can wash away your sin and heal you!!! If you’re not yet Catholic, convert ASAP, so you can experience the power and healing of God’s forgiveness in sacramental Confession!!! If you are still distressed by your abortion or cooperation in one, you may want to refrain from reading the next paragraph and reach out to Rachel’s Vineyard for healing.
  • Almighty God willed to be born a Child to reveal the dignity, beauty, and value of every child; all are precious gifts willed into existence by Love Himself. This is so important in an age that has been deemed “the culture of death” by Pope St. John Paul II. The evil of the “contraceptive mentality” has poisoned so many hearts and minds, leading to the brutal murders of over 59,600,000 children in the United Sates alone and over 1,438,000,000 worldwide!
  • Almighty God willed to be born into a family to reveal God’s plan for every child and the importance of marriage and the family. Every child has the right to be born into a valid, loving marriage according to God’s design between one man and one woman in a lifelong covenant. “Male and female He created them” (Gen 1:27).

The CHRISTmas manger scene is an extremely simple, beautiful, and powerful means to bear witness to these and so many other beautiful truths of our most holy Faith. All of the above should move us out of love to properly prepare our hearts to celebrate the Birth of God-made-Man in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; most especially by making a good, humble sacramental Confession of our sins.

Let us not allow our blessed Lord to enter into hearts that resemble the cave/stable in Bethlehem – cold, filthy, foul-smelling, and full of dung (in this case our sins). Let us welcome Beauty Himself into hearts made pure through penance and Confession; hearts which resemble the Heart He most loves – the Immaculate Heart of Mary!!!

Mary CHRISTmas!!!

Coming soon – a follow-up article explaining how using Mary CHRISTmas in place of Merry Christmas can be used to reveal more beautiful truths of our most holy Faith.

Read all posts by Rocco Fortunato Filed Under: Catechetics, Culture, Evangelization, Featured Tagged With: Blessed Virgin Mary, Christmas, Marian devotion, Rocco Fortunato, Spread the Blaze

Marriage Memes: Holy Family

By Karee Santos

I’m thrilled to announce the conclusion to this 12-part series of memes on marriage, covering every topic from communication to finances to prayer. This final installment focuses on the Holy Family, any marriage’s best and most perfect role model. Quotes are from Chapter 12 of  our Catholic marriage advice book The Four Keys to Everlasting Love: How Your Catholic Marriage Can Bring You Joy for  a Lifetime. Please put our book on your Christmas list for any engaged or married couples you know. And throughout this beautiful Advent season of preparation, let’s ask Jesus, Mary, and Joseph to pray for us!

Meme #1: Catechism

4-keys-catechism-ch-12-meme

Meme #2: Scripture

4-keys-scripture-ch-12-meme

Meme #3: Quote from Four Keys

4-keys-quote-ch-12-meme

Meme #4: Pope Quote

4-keys-pope-quote-ch-12-meme

Meme #5: Action Plan

4-keys-action-plan-ch-12-meme

Read all posts by Karee Santos Filed Under: Catechetics, Catechist Training, Featured, General, Sacraments Tagged With: Blessed Virgin Mary, Catholic marriage, Christmas, Holy Family, St. Joseph

Expecting Christmas; A Thirty Second Meditation for Right Now

By Mary Lou Rosien

“Imagine you are on the ride to Bethlehem with Mary and Joseph,” my wise confessor suggested. “Listen to what they are saying and how they are experiencing the journey.”

I could picture myself along side Mary. She, quite literally,’expecting Christmas’ is chatting to Joseph joyfully about the baby’s arrival. She is anticipating wrapping him in the swaddling clothes, sent by her cousin Elizabeth. She has everything set up with her midwife and Joseph has carved the most beautiful cradle she could have ever imagined! “It’s fit for a King, Joseph,” she told her husband.

As my prescribed meditation (penance) ended, I realized that Mary’s Christmas had definitely not gone as she may have planned. God’s idea of that Christmas was quite different from the one she imagined. It was, however, perfect in every way. The Savior born not, in the loving home of Joseph and Mary with a caring midwife attending, but in a stable with angels helping in the delivery of the Lord who would deliver us! No handsome, hand-carved cradle, only a feeding trough (manager) for His glorious head. Yes, so perfect that we ponder it with awe to this very day.

I feel the stress building. The list of things that have to be done in the next 24 hours doubling, when it should be diminishing. Lord, help me to remember that You have a much better plan for my Christmas this year than I do. It might not have anything to do with a clean house, good food or even wrapped gifts, but I pray that my heart will be open and obedient to it, just like Mary’s. Wishing all of you the most blessed and ‘perfect’ Christmas ever!

Freeimages/Schiel

Freeimages/Schiel

Read all posts by Mary Lou Rosien Filed Under: General Tagged With: advent, Blessed Virgin Mary, Christmas, Meditation, Stress

Micro-Managing God

By Mary Lou Rosien

Freeimages.com

Freeimages.com


When I was fourteen, I liked a boy named David. I really wanted him to like me back, so I prayed very hard that he would fall in ‘like’ with me. I told God his full name, address and all the details of how this desired relationship should go. I didn’t want God (yeah, the almighty, all-knowing God who created me) to make a mistake and let the wrong David like me. I thought I could micro-manage God.

Fast-forward and it was a job I desired, in a specific field, in a specific location… I seem to have developed a pattern of asking for exactly what I wanted. It took me years to figure out that the one who created me could create the perfect plan for me.

My good friend and co-RCIA teacher, Kelly Guest, puts it this way:

At the Wedding at Cana, Mary only presents the problem to Jesus, her son. “They have no wine,” she states. (John 2:1-12) She doesn’t tell Jesus what He should do, or how He should do it. She trusts that He will do what is necessary, in the way that it is necessary. Although Christ tells His mother that it is, “not my time,” He still works a miracle to fix the embarrassing situation for the bride and groom, and to bring about the best result.

Kelly reminds me that we only need to present our concern to the Lord and trust Him to work out the best plan for us. When we try to tell God how things ‘should’ be instead of believing He will work out things for our best, we demonstrate a lack of trust in the Lord.
In Jeremiah 29:11 we are further told that the Lord has plans for us that are for our, “good and not for our destruction.”

Scripture often reminds us to yield our will completely to the Lord”s plans for us.

“But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” Psalm 31:14

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” John 14:1

Mary, the Mother of God, shows conviction in following God’s plan from the Annunciation, to the Wedding at Cana, at the foot of the cross and again at Jesus’ Ascension into heaven. Following Mary’s example will draw us into a deeper, more trusting relationship with Christ.

Read all posts by Mary Lou Rosien Filed Under: Culture, Prayer, RCIA & Adult Education, Scripture Tagged With: Blessed Virgin Mary, Catholic, Trust, will

Mary in the Catechism: The Four Marian Dogmas

By Pat Gohn

The more I get to know her Mary as my Mother, the more I love her.  True love of someone is based on knowledge of him or her. With that in mind, this might be a good opportunity to refresh our knowledge of the person of Mary, as recorded doctrinally in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. 
(Note: This article might be longer than you’d normally read on Amazing Catechists, it’s more like 4 articles in one given its subject. But it’s purpose is to collect all this information in one place.)
All four of the Marian dogmas divinely reveal something of Mary’s personhood. Each truth helps us understand her role in salvation history.
The dogmas, in the order that they were declared as truth by the Church, are: Mary as the Mother of God, Mary as a Perpetual Virgin (“ever-virgin”), Mary’s Immaculate Conception, and the Assumption of Mary, body and soul, into heaven.
Growing up Catholic, I never doubted the validity of these dogmas. That is to say, until I met well-meaning Christians who just couldn’t buy what the Church was selling about Mary.  In other words, I began to have my doubts about her too.
Sometimes those kinds of challenges are what we need to set us in the right direction. For me, I thought since the Church held most of these ideas for thousands of years, it might be worthy of some investigation. (And this was years before we had the Catechism in the form we have it today.)  I needed to get to the truth of what was taught about Mary, the real person behind the serene-looking statue.

Mary as Mother of God

One of the first attacks made on Mary by the naysayers I encountered was that, indeed, Mary was the mother of Jesus… but certainly not the Mother of God.  Little did I know that this was exactly the heresy the Church was trying to combat way back in the fifth century (431 AD) at the Council of Ephesus, when it declared Mary, the “Theotokos”, or “God-bearer”, hence, “Mother of God.”
The Council of Ephesus, while correcting this heresy, was confirming what was already revealed in the New Testament writings, which reveal Mary as the Mother of God. Luke 1: 31, 35 give us Gabriel’s words to Mary at the Annunciation:
And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus… therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. [Emphasis mine.]
Other scripture passages reveal Mary as the mother of Jesus, who, we know to be the God-Man. (See Mt. 2:13, Jn. 2:1, Acts 1:14.) And St. Paul vividly describes Mary’s role in the Incarnation inGalatians 4:4:
“But when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman…” [Emphasis mine.]
Even before Ephesus, Tradition formulated the words of the creed that declared: “[Jesus] was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary.”
When the Council of Ephesus decreed Mary as the Mother of God, it reaffirmed the two natures of Christ found in one Person: that Jesus is both human and divine. (Later known as the “hypostatic union.”) Anything outside of that unity makes Jesus into two persons, one human and one divine, which is heresy.  So we see in this instance, how a Marian doctrine actually flows from and protects the truth about her Son!
You can read more about this in CCC 466 and 495, but it all summed up rather nicely in CCC 509:
Mary is truly “Mother of God” since she is the mother of the eternal Son of God made man, who is God himself.
You may recall this overarching guideline regarding “all things Mary” from CCC 487 and Part 1 of Mary in the Catechism:
What the Catholic faith believes about Mary is based on what it believes about Christ, and what it teaches about Mary illumines in turn its faith in Christ.

Mary, Ever-Virgin

The dogma about Mary’s perpetual virginity maintains that Mary was ever a virgin, before, during, and after the birth of Christ.  It is often here that Mary’s critics take exception, given our modern understanding of biology and human reproduction.
A virgin before birth.  The prophet Isaiah 7:14 foretold it:
“Therefore, the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold a virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and his name shall be Emmanuel.”
And the New Testament (Luke 1: 26-27) confirms it:
“The angel Gabriel was sent from God… to a virgin betrothed… and the virgin’s name was Mary.”
And then there is the dialogue between Mary and the angel at the annunciation that leads to the miraculous “overshadowing” of Mary by the power of God. (Luke1:35.)
Tradition also reaffirms this in the Apostles’ Creed: “Born of the Virgin Mary.”
A virgin during the birth. CCC 499 reiterates, what the Second Vatican Council had previous taught:
The deepening of faith in the virginal motherhood led the Church to confess Mary’s real and perpetual virginity even in the act of giving birth to the Son of God made man. In fact, Christ’s birth “did not diminish his mother’s virginal integrity but sanctified it.
Put another way, the birth of Jesus was a miraculous birth, just as his conception miraculous.  The “integrity” of Mary’s sinless body was never violated by this birth. This idea was held from the time of the early Church Fathers. Later, the Council of Trent (16thcentury) used this analogy to describe Christ’s birth: The newborn Christ came forth from the womb of Mary “as rays of the sun penetrate the substance of glass without breaking or injuring it in the least.”
It also follows that Mary’s childbirth would be exempt from pain, since she was a sinless creature (see “Immaculate Conception” below), and laboring in childbirth is a result of Original Sin (Gen. 3:16).
A virgin after the birth.  Many people take issue with the idea of Mary’s perpetual virginity, given New Testament accounts that mention the supposed “siblings” of Jesus (Cf. Mk 3:31-35; 6:3; 1 Cor 9:5; Gal 1:19). The Catechism replies in paragraph 500:
Against this doctrine the objection is sometimes raised that the Bible mentions brothers and sisters of Jesus. The Church has always understood these passages as not referring to other children of the Virgin Mary. In fact James and Joseph, “brothers of Jesus”, are the sons of another Mary, a disciple of Christ, whom St. Matthew significantly calls “the other Mary” They are close relations of Jesus, according to an Old Testament expression.
Then, there are the words of Jesus from the cross giving Mary into the care of John (John 19:26-27). If Jesus had siblings, especially brothers, would not Mary’s care be entrusted to them?  Instead, John takes Mary in.
I admit this one was a tough one for me to fully believe, at first. I could understand that Jesus was Mary’s only son, but I was not so sure about the lack of marital relations between Joseph and Mary. Wouldn’t a holy marriage be consummated? Not necessarily, so I learned.
I admit my sensibilities, formed in part by modern culture, had trouble understanding this idea of a holy marriage without the marital act. I needed more information. And I found it, in learning the importance of mutual understanding and consent in a marriage.  Our modern catechism teaches that marriage is first based on an exchange of consent, and then, only then, it may be consummated physically. (See CCC 1639-1640.) But the consent is the heart of the marriage bond, not the consummation.
While the Catechism does not go into detail on this exact point of Mary and Joseph’s marriage, I offer this helpful explanation from Dr. Mark Miravalle’s Introduction to Mary, reflecting on their marital union:
Finally, some would argue that if the marriage between Mary and Joseph was never consummated, then it would not have been a true marriage or would have been unnatural.  However, the essence of the marriage bond between husband and wife is their complete and unconditional gift of self and union of the heart, of which the physical union is a concrete sign.  If for a good and holy reason husband and wife should choose to refrain from relations, either for a time or permanently (under exceptional circumstances), this would not invalidate a marriage or affect its true bond, which is rooted not in the physical but in the spiritual union of the spouses.
There are numerous examples in Scripture where God asks married couples to renounce [or abstain from] relations.
[See Ex 19:15; 1 Sam 21:15; 1 Cor 7:5.]
These scriptural examples show that when men and women are near what God has sanctified, it can be also appropriate for them to respond by giving themselves directly and undividedly to God. If in these cases it was fitting that men and women should remain abstinent, it can hardly be surprising that present before the great miracle of the Incarnation, Mary and Joseph chose to remain permanently virginal as well.
CCC 506 alludes to Mary’s faith and undivided heart here:
Mary is a virgin because her virginity is the sign of her faith unadulterated by any doubt, and of her undivided gift of herself to God’s will. It is her faith that enables her to become the mother of the Savior: [St. Augustine taught:] “Mary is more blessed because she embraces faith in Christ than because she conceives the flesh of Christ.”

The Immaculate Conception

The dogma of the Immaculate Conception was finally promulgated in 1854… but the seeds of it are found much earlier in a careful reading of scripture. When the Angel addresses Mary at the Annunciation, he does not address her by her name. Instead, he uses the title “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you.” This title might as well be her name, for it describes Mary’s true nature; her person is full of grace. Notice that she is addressed as “full of grace”, even before the Angel announces that she will be asked to be the Mother of God.
Know anyone that fits that description? Nope. She’s the only one. The rest of humanity is fallen.
Mary’s detractors what to know what makes her so special?  If she is human, she should be subject to all the pitfalls of humanity, and just as sinful are the rest of us, right?  Not quite. There’s more to Mary’s story, and it takes a very careful reading for Scripture to parse it out. Not to mention 2000 years of biblical interpretation and theological reflection.
What’s sooooo special about Mary is her Immaculate Conception. And it means this: Mary was redeemed by the merits of her Son Jesus at Calvary – who is God – at her conception, so she never received a fallen nature. The nature she received was like that of Eve’s before the Fall. And recall, that after the fall, the Immaculate Conception is implied, theologians say, in this verse from Genesis 3:15, that speaks of a woman to come:
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.
This is why we have references to Mary as the “new Eve.” And why St. Jerome (4th century) taught this about Mary: “Death through Eve, life through Mary.” CCC 508 states:
From among the descendants of Eve, God chose the Virgin Mary to be the mother of his Son. “Full of grace”, Mary is the most excellent fruit of redemption: from the first instant of her conception, she was totally preserved from the stain of original sin and she remained pure from all personal sin throughout her life.
Mary, we might say, is the first person redeemed, by an application of the grace of Christ’s victory over sin and death on the Cross. And her sinless, loving heart, allowed her the perfect response to God’s call on her life: “Yes!”
Blessed Duns Scotus (d. 1308) called it “preservative redemption.” Preservative redemption addressed this question of Mary’s redemption taking place before her Son was even born.  Huh? The short of it is this:  God, the Creator of time, is also Lord over time, and can work outside of time.  And God can apply his graces throughout history (time) as He deems fit.  Therefore, God, in his divine plan of salvation, willed that Mary would be saved first, in her humanity, by the application of the graces won on the Cross for humanity by her Son, Jesus… providing a perfectly pure temple for the Holy Spirit to later “overshadow” and allow the Son of God to take on flesh in a sinless womb.
Whew! Got all that?
This is what the Catechism says in CCC 491 and 492:
Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, “full of grace” through God, was redeemed from the moment of her conception. That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854:
The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin.
The splendor of an entirely unique holiness by which Mary is enriched from the first instant of her conception comes wholly from Christ: she is redeemed, in a more exalted fashion, by reason of the merits of her Son. The Father blessed Mary more than any other created person in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places and chose her in Christ before the foundation of theworld, to be holy and blameless before him in love.

Mary’s Assumption

(If you are still reading this far, especially after trying to understand the depth of the Immaculate Conception, the Assumption is almost easy to understand!)
We start back to Genesis 3:15 (above) where the enmity between the woman and the serpent represents the past (Eve) and the future (Mary) who will share in the victory of her Son over the Devil.
As we know, the effects of Original Sin were sin and death. Jesus, by his Cross and Resurrection has set us free from both. And by his merits, we see this perfected in the person of Mary.  First, her Immaculate Conception shows how Jesus conquered sin, and by his grace, preserved her from Original Sin. Second, we see how Mary’s Assumption, is a particular grace awarded to Mary, so she, who is sinless, does not undergo bodily corruption at the end of her earthly life.
The Assumption of Mary is a natural consequence of the Immaculate Conception. And, it is a unique privilege that the Son affords his Mother.
CCC 966 teaches:
Finally the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things, so that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords and conqueror of sin and death. The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a singular participation in her Son’s Resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians.
Finally, Mary’s assumption serves as an eschatological sign (pointing to things to come in the afterlife)… she reminds us of the perfected Church we will become in heaven, as she is an icon of the Church both now and in the future.
CCC 972 states:
The Mother of Jesus, in the glory which she possesses in body and soul in heaven, is the image and beginning of the Church as it is to be perfected in the world to come. Likewise she shines forth on earth until the day of the Lord shall come, a sign of certain hope and comfort to the pilgrim People of God.
Mariology (the study of Mary) is a discreet field of study within theology. There is so much more that could be said on all these dogma. Today’s lesson is but a taste.
But I pray that you will come to love Mary in a deeper way, as you see just how intimately her life is bound to the life and grace of her Son, Jesus. Mary has no power in and of herself, save what comes to through Jesus.  By way of a final analogy… if Jesus is the sun, Mary is the moon… always reflecting Him!
©2009 Patricia W. Gohn

Read all posts by Pat Gohn Filed Under: Catechism, General Tagged With: Annunciation, Assumption, Blessed Virgin Mary, ever Virgin, Immaculate Conception, Incarnation, Mary, Mother of God, Pat Gohn

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